


these flames that engulf my heart

by mermaidbutch



Category: BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: Arson, F/F, General Delinquency, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, No PasuPare but Afterglow still exists, Shoplifting, Underage Smoking, Vandalism, set before season two ie Hina isn't student council prez, singers shouldn't smoke but Ran is a hardcore bitch
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-28
Updated: 2019-03-28
Packaged: 2019-12-25 17:39:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18266210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mermaidbutch/pseuds/mermaidbutch
Summary: “What do you like about it? Fire, I mean.”“It's fun!”In her 15 years of delinquency, Ran had never heard anyone say that. “Fun?” she repeats.“Yep! The fire’s all like, bam! and then boom-crackle-pop! And it's just so boppin’ y’know?”





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> kinda inspired by Housefire Smile by Molotov Jukebox

It's late. Ran should go to bed. But sleep is for the weak, and Ran is anything but weak.

 

As she stumbles through the dark forest, she catches sight of something glowing at the edge of her vision.

 

It only takes a few minutes to get closer to the light source. And then Ran hears it-- The unmistakable sound of flames crackling.

 

A girl about Ran’s age stands before her, facing the fire. She seems to be mesmerized. As Ran approaches, the girl turns toward. Oddly enough, Ran hadn't made a noise. She just turned, as if she could sense Ran’s presence.

 

“Oh! Hello!” she says. “Are you gonna arrest me? Or are you here to burn this house too?”

 

Ran doesn't answer. The truth is she was planning to at least vandalize the place, but she had brought a lighter as well.

 

“None of your business,” Ran replies cooly.

 

“Okay. I gotcha,” the girl says with a wink.

 

Ran just snorts. Who even is this girl?

 

As if reading Ran's mind, the girl begins speaking again. “Let's introduce ourselves! Like our names, what school we go to… An icebreaker! Or icemelter, I suppose. Heehee!”

 

“Bold of you to assume I'd share any personal information with a stranger.”

 

“C’mon, I'm curious!”

 

“You'll just rat me out,” Ran says, eyes narrowing.

 

“No, no, I promise I won't!” the other girl says with a grin. “Look, I'll go first. I'm Hikawa Hina! I go to Haneoka, what about you?”

 

“...My name is Ran.”

 

“Wow! That's a pretty boppin’ name!”

 

“Boppin’?”

 

Hina nods. “Boppin’! Y’know, like--” She waves her hands in some complicated pattern like she's trying to communicate. But her demeanor is upbeat, so it can't be something bad.

 

“Aight,” Ran replies. “I don't really get it, but it seems like a compliment.”

 

“What school do you go to?” Hina asks. Sensing Ran’s hesitation, she adds, “There's only two schools in town. If you go to my school I'll find you anyway. And if you go to Hanasakigawa, I can have Onee-chan find you for me!”

 

“I go to Haneoka as well.”

 

“Wow, awesome! I'll have to stop by during lunch!”

 

Ran doesn't really know how to feel about that. On one hand, Hina annoys her. But there's something charming about the girl that makes Ran think it wouldn't be bad.

 

“Favourite food?” Hina asks.

 

“Sour patch kids,” Ran admits. Hina raises an eyebrow. “I-- I like sour candy! And bittersweet things,” Ran adds defensively.

 

“Hm… What's your favourite movie?”

 

“I don't know. I don't watch movies much."

 

Hina seems satisfied with the answers Ran gave her. “I think you're pretty interesting, Ran-chan.”

 

“Chan?” Ran mutters under her breath. Nobody ever addresses her that way. Possibly because she only has four friends, but nevertheless it seemed strange.

 

The two girls stare at each other for a couple awkward seconds. . “Aren't you going to ask me something?” Hina says, almost smugly.

 

“Yeah, uh-- Hold on. Let me think.”

 

Ran has never been one to ask questions. At least not to people her own age (She questions authority all the time). And now Hina knows so much about her, but Ran knows next to nothing about Hina.

 

“What do you like about it? Fire, I mean.”

 

“It's fun!”

 

In her 15 years of delinquency, Ran had never heard anyone say that. “Fun?” she repeats.

 

“Yep! The fire’s all like, bam! and then boom-crackle-pop! And it's just so boppin’ y’know?”

 

“Huh.”

 

The two girls stand in silence for a while, watching the house burn.

 

“What about you?” Hina asks suddenly. “What do you like about fire?”

 

Ran hesitates before deciding she has nothing to lose by telling Hina the truth. “The colors. They're like a little sunset.”

 

“Oh? You like sunsets, Ran-chan?”

 

Ran’s eye twitches at the honorific, but she doesn't address it. “Mhm. They remind me of my friends.”

 

“Wow… your friends seem so cool!”

 

“You don't even know them.”

 

“Well, I could! Tell me about them!” Hina says.

 

Ran just sighs. Hina really has a way of getting what she wants. “Well, there's five of us, including me. We're in a band together.”

 

“Really? That's epic! I always wanted to be in a band…”

 

“Yeah, cool. I sing and play guitar.”

 

“Awesome!” Hina seems so genuinely excited by Afterglow. Ran finds herself smiling as well as she tells this strange girl all about her childhood friends.

 

Tsugumi’s bright smile, Himari’s energy, Tomoe’s cool demeanor, Moca’s… Mocatasticness, how the band formed in middle school, Ran mentions everything.

 

Eventually, Ran has nothing left to say. She told Hina everything there is to know.

 

“Wow… that's awesome. Makes me think of my besties!” Hina says.

 

“Ah,” Ran replies.

 

Ran doesn't like the silence that follows, so she digs around in her bag. Finally, she pulls out what she's looking for: a cigarette box. Sort of reluctantly, she offers one to Hina.

 

Hina takes the cigarette. “Thanks!” A few seconds later, she adds, “Oh! But you can't smoke if you sing in a band!”

 

“Himari always says that. But y’know, she smokes more than me…”

 

Hina chuckles. “Himari sounds silly.”

 

“Yeah… She is.” Ran smiles softly.

 

“Hm. I didn't know you could smile, Ran-chan.”

 

“Of course I can smile! Don't be dumb!” Oddly enough, the honorific doesn't bother her this time.

 

“Yeah, but it's so boppin’! I figured you could smile, but smiling with bop is totally different!”

  
  
Ran sighs. "Yeah, whatever you say..."

 

It's late, and Ran's vision is going hazy. She should sleep... Sleep..  

 

Sleep.... 

 

...

 

Ran doesn't know how she wakes up in her own bed. She doesn't remember the walk home at all.

 

“I guess she isn't real…” Ran says to herself, a tinge of disappointment in her voice.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day at school, Ran spots the blue-haired girl. So last night wasn't a dream…? 

 

The other Afterglow girls are laughing and chatting around her, but Ran is trying to shrink into herself. 

 

_ Please don't notice me, please don't noti-- _

 

“Ran-chan!” Hina shouts, waving her over. 

 

_ Fuck.  _

 

“Who's that?” Moca asks. “Does Ran have a girlfriend she hasn't told us about~?”

 

Ran chooses to ignore Moca. She reluctantly walks over to Hina instead of scolding her friend. But she's kinda glad to be spotted. 

 

“Ran-chan, what's up? You wanna meet my besties?” Hina asks. She sounds so excited, and that sparkle in her eyes is irresistible--

 

Ran looks back at Moca and the others apologetically. The four of them give her a thumbs up. “Sure. Why not.”

 

“Yaay~! C’mon, follow me!” Hina grabs Ran’s hand and pulls her along. She begins to speak again. “I had a hell of a time finding you! But my sense of direction is good, so everything is okay.”

 

Ran can barely keep up, and she wonders how Hina manages to talk while running. But they quickly arrive to a part of the school Ran has never seen before. It's a little courtyard with a low-lying brick wall around a big tree in the middle. 

 

Hina spreads her arms wide, as if showing off some creation she was proud of. “Look, Ran-chan! It's my friends!”

 

There’s a brunette girl with glasses sitting cross-legged on the ground, reading a manga volume. On closer inspection, it looks like some kinda hentai. Is that even allowed at school?

 

On the low wall is a girl with a purple ponytail, who’s stroking the hair of another girl lying on the wall with her head in her lap. Ran recognizes the purple-haired girl as Kaoru, an upperclassman that Himari always talks about. The girl in Kaoru’s lap doesn't look familiar, however. 

 

She seems to be half asleep as Kaoru plays with her long, dirty-blonde hair. There's a smile on her face. Ran wonders if she's Kaoru’s girlfriend. Better not mention it to Himari. 

 

Kaoru looks at Ran smugly. “How are you feeling, my dear little kitten?” She's making eye contact so intently that Ran starts to think maybe coming over here was a bad idea. 

 

“Same as always,” Ran says simply. She can hear Hina chuckling behind her. 

 

“Ahh, but the concept of ‘always’ is so fleeting, isn't it?” Kaoru smiles as if she knows something Ran doesn't, and it makes her feel uneasy. 

 

Despite her discomfort, Ran manages to stare the girl down. “I suppose you're right. But between fleeting moments there's a constant state of being, isn't there?”

 

“Oh, this little kitten is smart! So thoughtful… I'm greatly intrigued…” Kaoru flips her hair dramatically and sighs, closing her eyes and allowing Ran some relief. 

 

“Huehehe. I can't believe you managed to have a meaningful conversation with Kaoru-san,” a voice spoke from below. Ran looks down to see the brunette push up her glasses and giggle like a nerdy anime villain. 

 

“What makes you think that conversation was meaningful?” Ran asks sharply. 

 

“Oh, you two were so cool! All the philosophy of what is or isn't long lasting. Moments come and go, but we are who we are… Huehehehe!”

 

Ran rolls her eyes. She doesn't have time for this fake deep shit. “Alright, whatever. Who are you?’

 

The girl jumps up off the ground. “Yamato Maya, at your service! I love palindromes because my name is one! I'm in the drama club with Kaoru-san. It's nice to meet you.” She sticks out her hand, and Ran reluctantly shakes it. It's cold and clammy, a bit like Tomoe’s hand. 

 

“Nice to meet you too. So all of you are Hina’s friends?” Ran asks. 

 

“Mhm! I also have Kokoro-chan and Onee-chan! But they're at Hanasakigawa,” Hina says. 

 

“Huh.”

 

“Alrighty, Ran-chan! Any questions?” Hina asks. 

 

Ran points at the girl on Kaoru’s lap. “You've been awfully quiet.”

 

“Ah, have I? Sorry about that. I'm Lisa. There's not much to say about me, I'm afraid…” 

 

“That's not true, Lisa-chi! You're so boppin’ and the way you play bass is like dun dun dun-- JANG!”

 

Lisa smiles. “Thank you, Hina.”

 

“All of you are so boppin’! Bippity bop boppin’! Even you, Ran-chan! Especially you!”

 

“Especially?” Ran asks, feeling a slight heat on her cheeks. 

 

“Yeah! You're just--” Hina does the waving thing with her hands again. Just like that first night, Ran doesn't get any of it. 

 

“She thinks your stoic personality is cool,” Maya translates. 

 

“Uh… Thank you?” Ran replies. “Uh, I think your… energy? Is fun? And interesting?”

 

Hina smiles that sparkly smile. “Wow! Thanks!” 

 

There's a kinda awkward silence, at least on Ran’s part. Hina seems fine. She's just staring and smiling. 

 

“Get a room,” Lisa mumbles. 

 

“Look who's talking!” Maya protests. “Hina and Ran can do what they want as long as you and Kaoru-san are all over each other!”

 

“Really, it isn't like that!” Ran protests. 

 

“It isn't?” Hina asks innocently. Then she laughs. 

 

Ran is definitely blushing at this point. “Can I leave now?” she says, half joking. 

 

“If you want! Do what you want, Ran-chan!” 

 

Ran doesn't get to decide whether to stay or go, because the ringing school bell answers for her. “Shit. Class.” 

 

“Aww! See you later then!” Hina says. 

 

“Ah… Yeah. See you too.”

 

Ran walks back toward where Afterglow are sitting. Hina had taken her pretty much to the other side of the school. 

 

_ Was it right here or left? Uh, we passed this bush on the way here, so… _

 

Somehow, she doesn't get lost. 

 

Moca smiles devilishly when she spots Ran. “Raaan, look! Your face matches Tomoe’s hair!”

 

Tomoe frowns and pulls a lock of her hair in front of her, as if she can't remember the colour. 

 

“Shut up. Just shut up,” Ran replies. “Let's go to class.”

 

The five of them walk toward the school building, Moca giggling all the way.


End file.
